Quietly building a solid reputation

Featured Locals

Quietly building a solid reputation

Tucked away in Hammersmith’s Brackenbury Village is a Victorian corner shop that is currently being extended, updated and transformed into a family home by one of the best builders in the area.
Garry Clark can be found most days hard at work on the two-storey building at the corner of Aldensley Road and Bradmore Park Road. Locals are curious to see what becomes of the building that 100 years ago housed a thriving greengrocers and more recently was a cake shop and a hairdressers.

Garry, 35, is a local boy, born to Fulham parents in Queen Charlotte’s Hospital and taught the skills of the building trade early on by his father Terry. On leaving school at 16 young Garry followed in his father’s footsteps and then went on to start his own business, G.J.Clark Carpentry & Building. Garry explained how his company has grown over the years.

‘All our work comes via word of mouth. Once we start on one street we usually go house to house, often working in succession on five homes on any given street. ‘We have always been busy even during the 2008 recession. If people are not moving they are improving their homes so there’s always work for us. We have a good reputation and our prices are very competitive. We never slow down, quite the opposite. A lot of families we work for recommend us to other families via the school gate.’

Garry, who is also a keen footballer and has a Level 1 FA coaching badge and coaches junior under nines, is working on his current project with architect Jason Wren. ‘Jason will keep many features to maintain the building’s character.

‘I can’t believe I’ve lived and worked in the area all my life but never knew Brackenbury existed. I really like it, it’s very peaceful and you forget where you are.’

Garry’s next project will be his marriage in July to long-term partner Nadine, a hairdresser. They will be joined on their honeymoon in the Maldives by their three children aged 12, eight and six. After that it’s back to building a secure future for the whole family.

About Editor

KEEP THINGS LOCAL MAGAZINES

KEEP THINGS LOCAL IS A MEDIA BUSINESS WITH A UNIQUE LOCAL FOCUS

The company publishes four flagship magazines (Chelsea Locals, Chiswick Locals, Richmond Locals and Hammersmith Locals) with more launches planned in London and across the UK. The prime focus of each of these quarterly magazines is to showcase and support the independent traders and small businesses who do so much to give these areas their individual retail character and community spirit. This is achieved through dedicated advertorials which are written, designed and photographed by an experienced team lead by Neil McKelvie.

In every issue, these advertorials are complemented by feature articles which turn the spotlight on different aspects of neighbourhood life and interviews with notable local figures.In addition to appearing in the magazines, every advertorial is also published in the Keep Things Local newsletters, on the website and on social media. Get in touch to be featured in our Summer, Autumn, Winter and Spring issues.

Meet the Locals

Abbas Ali is the new co-owner and pharmacist at one of Chiswick’s longest established businesses There’s a new face behind the counter at the West London Pharmacy. Abbas Ali has recently taken over as the pharmacist (he’s also the co-owner with his father, Sabir) and he’s conscious that he has taken the reins of a Chiswick institution. ‘The previous owner, Mr Amin, was very well liked. He’s a family friend and when he mentioned that he was retiring after 37 years, we didn’t hesitate – it was a fantastic opportunity for us.’

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Toby Walker started learning the violin aged five and Charlotte Clemson at three. Both are proud ‘Suzuki kids’ – they followed the teaching philosophy of Dr Shinichi Suzuki – and they have now opened a Suzuki school at the Rocks Lane Multi-Sports Centre in Chiswick. Dr Suzuki developed a unique method that enables children to play to their best ability while absorbing key life skills at the same time. ‘Children start young (three-plus) when skills are easily mastered and they learn in a natural way by listening and repeating,’ explains Toby. ‘Lessons are on a one-to-one and group basis; making music is about communicating, so playing socially from the beginning is vital.’